This one is a bit of a mongrel, a mid-90’s L2000 body mated to an early 80’s SB-2 neck. It’s a combination which really works, though, let me assure you. The L2000 is a wonderful design, arguably the culmination of Leo Fender’s evolution of the instrument. It’s certainly one of the most tonally flexible basses out there, in the guise of a traditional feeling, sturdy workhorse. The much maligned three-bolt neck and bullet truss rod adjuster prove to be perfectly capable when built well, a reflection of the high build standard of your typical G&L. The hefty bridge, again just a sensible evolution of the old standard, cannot be faulted. It’s the old bass you know, just made better with a lot of thought and experience behind it.

The heart of these basses are the thunderous MFD pickups, the output of which are so great that the controls are bass and treble cut, not boost. With the switching options factored in, the end result is an aggressive beast which offers more tones than you could ever realistically need. As production basses go, it’s hard to beat.

It’s hard to sum up this bass in words, they really have to be played and experienced in the flesh. The core of the bass is traditional and familar but it’s capable of so, so much. I’m tempted to say that G&Ls are the basses Fenders aspire to be when they grow up. There, I said it.